Improvement in hat-finishing machines



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MPEERS, PHOTO-LTHO WASHINGTON D C ad ifm.

GEORGE W. STOUT, OE NEWARK, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO NEW YORK HAT-FINISHING COMPANY.'

Leners raient No. 109,072, dated November 8,1870.

IMPROVEMENT IN HAT-FINISHING MACHINES.

The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making part of the same.

To all whom it 'may concern Be it known that I, GEORGE W. STOUT, of N ewark, in the county 0f Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and and useful Improvements in Hat-Finishing Machines; and l do hereby declare that the following is a full and exact description thereof'.

My invention relates to the same class of machines described in the patent to myself and John OjRichardson, dated December l5, 1868. The general construction aud operation of many of the parts corn responds with that described in that patent, and will be only briefly described here. l

My present invention relates' to a modification. of the form of the brim-plate, new constructions and arrangements of the irons to allow therefor, and to generally increase the efiiciency and perfection ofY the operation, and to means for confining and releasing the hat-block.

will rstde'scribe what I consider the best means of carrying out my invention, and will afterward designate the points which I believe tol be newv therein.

`The accompanying drawing formsa part of this specification.

Figure lis a front 'elevation of my improved ma-v Figure 2 risfa side elevation; and

Figure 3,a plau'view of the same.

Figure 4 shows the side-i`rons IJ, and their connections to the. carrier K.

Figure 5. is a view of the iron I?, in the direction. of. its-axis p, to .show the diierent faces p1 1121i p4.

Figure is a central section through the curved lorim-plate D and hatblock E, on the line 'I T in Figure? is a cross-section through the brim-plate on the line S S in iig. (i. These two igur'es show in detailthe-counection of the hat-block E to the curved brim-plate D, by means of the keyfO.

Figure 8 is a side elevation of the brim-iron G, and partof the shaft y to which it is attached.

Figure-9 is a front elevation of the same.

rIhe drawing represents the novel parts, with so much of the previously known parts as is necessary to indicate their relations thereto;

Similar letters of reference indicate'likeparts. inA all the iigures.

A is the ixed frame-work.

B is astout arm turning on a shaft, b, and carrying bearings in which the shaft d of the brim-plate D is free to revolve.

Suitable pulleys and belts, not represented, being provided for giving motionto this brim-plate'iu the manner described in the aforesaid patent of December 15,1868, the brim-plate D, with the hat-block were afterward bent to the curvature desired.

and hat carried thereon, is revolved slowly or rapidly in either direction, and is, in one position of the arm B, subjected to the action of the irons, and is afterward swung away out of contact with the irons, to be revolved at a different velocity in t-hc saine or a different direction, and' to allow the hat-block andhat to be removed and exchanged.

Instead of a plain brim-plate, as described in our former patent, I employ one which is curved, to adapt it to match to a curved-brim lint.

Fashions vary at different periods, and in different localities. There is often required some styles of hats with perfectly plain brims, but the majority rcquire to be curved so as to drop at the front and rear, and rise at the sides..

As this class of machines hasben heretofore'used, the hats were finished with plain brirns, andthe hrims This obviously involves a distortion ofthe work which my invention is intended to avoid.

My improved machine finishes the hats with the brims curved to an extent approximating that in which they are to be iinally finished. One degree of curvature of the brim-plate in my iiuishing-machine, may serve for-a variety of degrees of curvature in the finished hat, but it always approximates to that l of the finished hat, and thus reduces the degree ot' subsequent distortion or re-shaping which is required,

Eis the hat-block., It may vary in height, in diameter and in roundness of its corners.- It may, in fact, be made with a perfectly angular corner, where the top or tip joins the side-crown.' In all cases, it will be understood thatthe iro'ns must4 be adapted thereto.

YI provide one iron which is especiallyv provided to iron the angle wherethe tip joins the side-crown. That I will particularly describe below.

I will avoid using the technicaland as far as possible.

The band or line where the side-crown is joined to the brim, as also the top of the brim, is treated by the iron G.

unusual terms The side-crowu is treated by the irons I J, and the tip is treated by the iron- M, while the angle between the tip and side-crown, and, of course, a portion of the surfaces of both these parts,is or may be treated bythe iron l.

The iron P is of special limportance iu treatingthose hats where the junction of the tip and the sidecrown is rounded.

The arcs of such, curvature are liable to vary very greatly with changes in the sizes and styles of hats. I have provided a single iron, P, with several dierent faces pl p2 p pheachhaving different degrees of curvature.

A very important function of this iron is to treat not only the angle, whether rounded or acute, but also a considerable portion of the surface: of the sidecrown and tip. I can use these irons with success on hats having perfectly sharp angles.

In either caso7 I make the sides p1 lylp to vary in depth, so that I can, by turning the viron I about in its bearing on the arm Q, and thus presenting differ'- ent faces, as, for example, the face 119 instead of the face p, iron hats having a taller or a fiatter crown, and iron with this iron nearly or quite the whole depth of the sidecrown.

lpropose in practice to provide a number of change; able irons l, each having four or some other number of faces, which may be made available in succession. This seems necessary, to provide for the infinite variations ofthe depths and of the curvature's of the surfaces to bc treated. But the number ot' separate irons is much less than would be required if the irons were of' the ordinary character, and not changeable by turningr around, as in my invention.

The shaft p of the iron P is carried iu a bearing piece, Q, which swivels on an axis, q, on the main arm Q. \Vhen in use it is turned on the axis q by the hand of the attendant applied to the projecting portion or haudle'q, so as to iron smoothly' a curved angle, or those parts of the tip or side crown adjacent to the cnr-ve or angle when the iron docs not lit with mathanuttical exactness thereto.

The arm Q, with the parts attached thereon, is capable of turning in the vertical plane, and also of' sliding longitudinally on the Vshaft b.` These motions allow it to be brought into action and removed out of the way as the work requires.

Any convenient means may be employed for clamping or confining the shaft p in its bearing-piece Q, so that the iron shall not turn except when it is desired .to change the face.

lThe entire arm (g and its connections may be drawn upward into the line of the axis of the hat-block by means of a weight and cord, not represented.

My brim-plate D and all the several irons may be heated by steam or by gas, according to any ordinary ol suitable plan. I prefer heating by `iets of gas, under' all ordinary circumstances, where gas is available.

The curvature ofthe brim-plate I) induces some| diiiiculties in the working ofthe irons, which it is the object of another part of my invention to provide for. The irons are adapted to accommodate themselves to all the motions rcquircd. These motions may be briefly recited:

The hat-block is usually oval,'\vhich involves rctreating and advancing motions of the irons from and toward the axis of' motion of the hat-block. Then the brim-plate being curved involves a necessity, first, i'oran oscillating motion of the iron G, which irons the brim; and, second, of a movement of the entire iron- G bodily in a direction parallel to the axis ofthe hat-block.

I provide for all this, iirst,by mounting .the brin1 iron Gr on a shaft, g, which is free to slide longitudinally to and from the axis 'of motion of the hat-block E, under the infiuence of a weight, gl, and cord, g2.' This shaft g is also capable of oscillating in its hearings, which allows the connected brim-iron G to perform the necessary oscillating movement to adapt itself to the changingr angle presented by thc Curved brim. y

'Ihebearing` ot' the shalt g, in which these oscillating and sliding motions are performed, is in the carrier H, which is' capableot' moving on the fixed guides c a2 under thc'inliueuceof'the weight vhaud cord 7i?.

It being understood that the cords y2 and 'Zz-1* run over pulleys which turn with verr little frictionl it will be seen that the brimviron G is pressed uponthe brim with a force which is ncarl y constant in all po sitions, and depends on the gravity of the weight h, while it is pressed inward toward the axis of the hatblock E, and, consequently, irons the band portion of the side crown with a force which is nearly equal in all positions, and depends on the gravity of the weight g2.

The side-crown irons I and J may be more briefly described.

They are two entirely distinct irons, cated by sep-` arate means, and applying on ldifferent portions of the surface of the side crown.` They should be hollowed so as to match approximately to the surface of the side crown, and iron the same smoothly.

They are both mounted ou the common carrier. K, which is pressed up from below by means of the lever L, turning on the fulcrum Z under the influence of a weight, l.

There is a hinge or knuckle-joint at the junction of the lever L with the carrier K, and another at the junction of the latter with each of the irons I and J. These joints need not have liberty for ver much motion. lf much liberty is provided I esteem it well to provide springs, or other means not represented, for holding all the parts near the position shown, so that, when the lever L is tilted, and the irons are entirely out of cont-act with the hat, they will notvcry greatly change their position, but will be always in or near the position required for use. i

The tip-iron M is mounted on a shaf, mi, with a hinge-joint, m, which allows it to swivel, and its carrier N is also fi'ee to allow this iron to be moved to and from the work.

that which actuates the carrier K, as is represented visions for allowing the shaft m to slide longitudinally and to oscillate as beforedescribed; butin treating the tips of the common styles of the hat-snow in vogue it isnot necessary to provide much motion for this iron. A

l provide a spring, m", which may be` bolted adjustably on the side of the shaft m, so as to press with anyrequired degl-ee of force on the tip-iron M. Its function is to press the tip-iron M fairly upon the sur face to be smoothed, and to hold it fairly thereon under any slightvariation in the positions in which the tip ofthe hat may be presented, whether such Variations are intentional or are due simply to h'nperfections in the mechanism.

1 have provided novel means for connecting and disconnecting the hat-block E.

Its center c extends into the center of' the brimplate, and is mortised as indicated by c'.

A cross-key, C, is mounted transversely in the brim-plate I), and is adapted tomove endwise; that is to say, it can be moved to a limit-ed extent'transversely to the axis of motion ofthe curved brim-plate I). \\"l1en driven in one direction by a-.blow, or by any other suitable means, it engages with the hatblock'by taking in the recess or mortise el. By driving it tightly it holds vthe hat-block very rigidly on the brim-plate.

The ironing is etfected in a few seconds, and then the brim-plate D and its connections having been swung` out of' cont-act with the irons, and its rotation arrested, one or more blows, driving the key C endwise in the direction opposite to that' which causes it to engage, entirely releases the hat-block, while still leaving the key confined within the brim-plate.

This mode of connecting and disconnecting is peculiarly adapted to this machine, where the brim-plate is subjected to the peculiar mot-ions, and the parts are -hot and painful to handle. A

Some of the benefits of' my invention may be realized by using only a part thereof, but omitting the.

There may be a weight and cord, corresponding to in the figures, and thcreinay be any convenient pro.

other parts, or employing ordinary parts ns substin tntesgtherefor; thus, for example, my curved brimplate D and brim-iron G may be used without the mode of' locking and releasing the hzLt-block,z and rice versa.

I claim in lint-finishing machines- 1. The within-described method of vironing and linishing hats with curved brilns, the brims being iroried by the yielding irons on the hearted andeurved briniplate, revolved and operated substantially-ns herein set forth.

2. The rocking connection K and duplicate irons I J carried thereon, operated by the single lever or arm L, so as to allow the irons to change their positions Witnesses:

WM. G. DEY, A. HOERMANX. 

